Campus Strategies for
ePortfolio Diffusion
AAEEBL Global Conference
July 26, 2011
Susan Kahn, Director
Susan Scott, Coordinator
IUPUI ePortfolio Initiative
Initial implementation strategy
• Introduce ePortfolio in first-year
experience courses
– Brief training to prepare faculty and advisors
• Assumption: interest would grow as
faculty, advisors, and students became
aware of benefits
• Important driver: assessment of crossdisciplinary Principles of Undergraduate
Learning
Context of IUPUI
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Blended campus of IU and Purdue
Founded 1969
Urban research university
20+ schools, professional schools dominate
Commuter campus
30,000+ students
– Mostly first generation, professionally
oriented
IUPUI ePortfolio environment
• Open Source Portfolio within Sakai LMS
• Two main sets of tools:
– Matrix tool that provides for guidance,
reflection, feedback, evaluation, and
generation of assessment reports
– Presentation tool that enables students
to create simple web presentations
based on templates
Initial obstacles
• Immature technology not matched to
campus vision
• Portfolio pedagogy and assessment not
well understood
• Perceived as top-down imposition of
assessment
• Portfolio treated as add-on, not integrated
into coursework
Revised strategy
• Seed experimentation at department level
to address self-identified needs
• Provide extensive faculty support
– Small grants
– Intensive consultation and tech support
– Group workshops and symposia
• Secure faculty advice about needed
software development
Integrative Department Grants
• Funded 17 projects; 12 completed, 3
tabled, 2 currently under way
• 4 took 3 years, 1 more likely to do so
• Have directly involved at least 57 faculty
and staff as project leaders
• Total funds awarded 2006-11: $207,300
Outcomes of revised strategy
• Development of a few good early
examples whose leaders shared
experience with others
• Increased departmental collaboration
around learning outcomes and curriculum
development
• Improvement of ePortfolio environment
and tools—including, most recently,
presentation tool
Using ePort at IUPUI
• American Studies (courses)
• Anatomy & Physiology
(courses)
• Center for Research and
Learning (undergrad research)
• Center for Service and Learning
• Computer, Information, and
Leadership Technology (OLS
program)
• Dentistry (ethics, pediatric,
preventive, dental hygiene)
• Engineering & Technology
(school, critical thinking)
• English (capstone)
• Library and Information Science
(MLS)
• Nursing (DNP, CNS)
• Teacher licensure programs
• Social Work (BSW program)
• Spanish
• Student Life (leadership
programs)
• Tourism, Convention, and Event
Management (PULs)
• University College (ePersonal
Development Plan)
• Visual Communication
(capstone)
Additional plans for 2011-12
• Art History (courses)
• Psychology (advising)
• Honors College (scholarship
student support)
• Student African American
Sisterhood (student support)
• Nursing (RN to BSN, MSN, PhD
pending)
• Continuing Studies (returning
adult portfolio preparation)
• Music Technology (BS program)
• Social Work (MSW program)
• Medicine (Pediatrics)
Five-year trajectory
25
20
15
Grant Projects
Special Projects
10
Ad hoc/Continuing
5
0
2005-06
2007-08
2009-10
2011-12
Common challenges
• Generating faculty engagement;
overcoming perceptions of “extra work”
• Supporting faculty and students; issues of
scale
• Battling (perceived) research emphasis in
reward structure
• The time it takes for consensus-building
and attention to curriculum
Common success factors
• Work with the faculty
• Draw on institutional strengths
• Careful planning, ready to adjust as
needed
• Start small, build momentum and capacity
concurrently
Implementation model: Top down
• Senior capstones
• Mid-point courses
• Gateway courses
• First-year Seminar
• English, Visual
Communication,
Spanish
• School: Nursing
(DNP, CNS, BSN
completion)
• Others?
Model: Bottom up
• Senior capstones
• Mid-point courses
• Gateway courses
• First-year Seminar
• Personal Development Plan
• Others?
– LaGuardia, Clemson
– Virginia Tech
– Nursing at Three
Rivers Community
College (CT)
Model: Widen the circle, pt 1
• Cross-department
pedagogy
• Push out to more
departments or
courses
• Center for Service
and Learning, Center
for Research and
Learning
• Other:
–Writing programs
(UGa, Ole Miss,
Queensborough CC,
Hunter Col)
Model: Widen the circle, pt 2
• Campus level
curriculum
• Broaden to
more majors or to
more categories
• Principles of Undergraduate Learning
(TCEM PUL1 +)
• Other:
– Salt Lake CC, Boston
U, and Portland
State/gen ed learning
outcome assessment
Model: Low-hanging fruit
• Specialized
accreditation or
other external
drivers
• Nursing, Lib Science,
Engineering, Education, Dentistry, Social
Work
• Other:
–Johnson & Wales U,
U of Michigan
Our contact information:
• Susan Kahn: skahn@iupui.edu
• Susan Scott: sbscott@iupui.edu